The Las Vegas Raiders have an exciting 2026 NFL season incoming as they hope to rebuild once again after a forgettable 3-14 mark to end last year’s regular season. With minicamp and organized team activities (OTAs) wrapping up, important decisions will have to be made on several fronts in cutting down the roster from their offseason number to the 53-man roster heading into the preseason.
Change is often a positive for NFL teams and the Raiders will have new additions at two of the most prominent roles in the organization. Klink Kubiak will begin his stint as the new head coach after leading the Seattle Seahawks to their win in Super Bowl LX over New England. No. 1 overall pick QB Fernando Mendoza is also the center of focus this offseason as fans get their first look at their future franchise leader.
Aside from Mendoza, the Raiders drafted nine other players with several additions to their secondary and deeper role players arriving on offense. The Raiders picked up linebackers Nakobe Dean from Philadelphia and Quay Walker from Green Bay, solidifying their greatest needs on defense with players who can produce right away.
However, cuts will still have to be made as the Raiders trim their 90-man offseason roster. Due to great depth and competition at several positions, players like QB Jacob Clark and TE Albert Okwuegbuman Jr. could be on the chopping block after 2026 minicamp.
QB Jacob Clark
The Raiders are currently stocking veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, and former starter Aidan O’Connell on their depth chart ahead of rookie QB Jacob Clark. Clark went undrafted but signed a free agent deal with the Raiders in April 2026, adding additional depth to their quarterback room and providing a bit of competition for those ahead of him.
The Raiders have already made it clear that Kirk Cousins will be their Week 1 starter under center, a move that could work in favor of rookie Fernando Mendoza as he awaits the keys to this offense. Cousins is a total professional and a great veteran quarterback to work under, so Mendoza will have a wealth of knowledge at his disposal both before and after taking over the starting role.
Assuming the Raiders plan to only roster three quarterbacks, former starter Aidan O’Connell will likely be the final choice at the third-string slot. O’Connell started just one game in 2025 after playing in 20 total games for the Raiders in the prior two years, but he knows this offense front and back and won’t have much of a learning curve as he continues his development.
This puts Jacob Clark in tough position as he’ll likely be clamoring for a spot on the practice squad. The direction the Raiders want to go in terms of the quarterback position has never been clearer and that plan doesn’t involve much production from a QB4 on their depth chart.
TE Albert Okwuegbunam Jr.
Another position that is seemingly set in stone for the Raiders is at the tight end slot. Former first-round pick and clear starter Brock Bowers logged just 12 games last season as he dealt with frustrating injuries, giving backup TE Michael Mayer several opportunities to prove his worth on the field. Bowers has evolved into a top-3 tight end in the league at any given moment and as long as he’s healthy, this offense will continue running through him in the passing game.
Furthermore, Michael Mayer has shown great ability in the blocking game and can more than hold his own running routes and catching passes in situations where Bowers is on the bench. This leaves an additional four tight ends – Ian Thomas, Carter Runyon, Patrick Gurd, Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. – all fighting for the third-string spot as the Raiders are only expected to roster four tight ends at most.
Nine-year NFL veteran TE Ian Thomas offers the best option of the remaining four as he’s been the most proven with his pass and run blocking out of two-TE sets. A player like Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. could slip through the cracks as the positional battle is already likely set before he gets a true opportunity to showcase his abilities. As a result, the Raiders could be making key cuts at the tight end position that may unfortunately include Okwuegbunam Jr.
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